You Can Never Talk About This One Too Much – 8/15/22

Safety E-QuickTips

U.S. Compliance Systems, Inc.

Monday Aug 15, 2022

You Can Never Talk About This One to Much

Ladders are probably one of the greatest inventions ever made. We use them at home, work, and even at play.

Many of you if not all of you, remember being at a little league baseball game and seen someone sitting on top of a step ladder behind right field waiting to change the inning or score cards on the scoreboard. Today most are electronic, so it’s not seen as often much anymore – and that’s a good thing.

Ladders come in all shapes and sizes. We have portable, fixed, rolling, extension, step, and last but not least, the “as seen on TV” ladders that go everywhere and do everything.

With all the types, shapes, and sizes of ladders we have available for us to use, why is it that when we use a ladder, many times we find that it is just a little too short? Or it needs to be moved a little more to the right or left. Or we can’t get it set properly. At those times we find ourselves making little adjustments that may not be in our best interest.

Here are a few adjustments we can all relate to:

• ·We “hop” the extension ladder over a few inches while we are still on it.
• ·We can’t reach high enough, so we climb up the ladder to the last rung where we aren’t able to hold onto the ladder properly.
• ·We find ourselves standing on “This Is Not a Step” to reach a little higher.
• ·We can’t get the ladder positioned properly so we find something to level it up, jam one side of the ladder in the ground, or just hope our weight puts enough pressure on the legs to keep them from kicking out.

There is no question, ladders are probably one of the greatest inventions ever made when used properly.

But when they are not, they can become one of the most dangerous.

Next time you go to use a ladder, take the time to get a ladder that will do the job.

Make sure the ladder is positioned properly so it doesn’t kick out or slide to the side and If you need to reach a little further to the right or left, don’t hop the ladder. Get down and move it.

And finally, “This Is Not a Step” means just that – “This Is Not A Step”.

Employee QuickTip

Ladders can be one of your best tools but is used wrong -They can put you in the hospital, or worse.

Employer/Management QuickTip

Make sure your employees have the right ladder to get the job done safely.It could be the difference between hem finishing the job or heading to the hospital.We all know that finishing the job is what we want to see.

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Thanks for Reading and Please – Stay Healthy and Work Safe.